A Trust Earned
by zpplnchick
Summary: Trust, a tricky thing. Very tricky for Jackie and Hyde. But they come around, eventually. Two-shot "what if" story! Set during 5x22.
1. Part One

**Summary:** Trust, a tricky thing. Very tricky for Jackie and Hyde. But they come around, eventually. Two-shot "what if" story! Set during 5x22.

 **Disclaimer** **:** I just play with these characters who are not mine. Most of the dialogue is from the episode. I changed a few things though :)

 **Author's Note** **:** Here's another story that's been sitting on my computer for ages! I wanted to explore Jackie and Hyde's inability to trust each other and what might have happened if they'd addressed it head-on.

* * *

"…No, no, no. You don't need to be hanging out with Kelso alone."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't trust him."

Jackie paused, knowing she should have expected that. "Yeah, but don't you trust me?"

"No!"

Jackie stared back at him, the man she just _knew_ who was the love of her life. The man that didn't trust her because of her stupidity and his own insecurities with getting close to people.

Things had been so much easier with Kelso…but she didn't want easier. She didn't want dumb, pretty, or selfish. She wanted someone strong and caring with a sour demeanor and curly hair.

"Haven't you been paying attention? I don't trust anything. I don't trust the government. I don't trust the newspapers. I'm not even sure that what time we think it is right now is _really_ what time it is." Hyde paused. "But mostly I don't trust you and Kelso alone together."

Jackie sighed. "All right. You know what? I guess I deserved that. What I said at Eric's grandfather's funeral was horrible and stupid and thoughtless. But I thought we moved past that."

"How am I supposed to move past it when you're getting all buddy-buddy with Kelso at The Hub?"

Jackie paused and mulled over her decision before standing abruptly and turning to plop herself on Steven's lap. He wouldn't be able to go anywhere without throwing her off, and she knew he wasn't likely to do that. Her strong, caring, curly-haired guy had the heart of a wounded teddy bear.

"Okay. Steven, you're going to listen to me and you're going to listen me really, really good. You do that and maybe I'll do something for you that you've seemed to like very, very much in the past."

Hyde's right eyebrow rose a fraction of an inch in interest. Good, she had his undivided attention.

"I am in love with you, not Michael."

"Yeah, now."

She shrugged. "You're right, but my birthday and you," she said, curling her fingers in the hair at the back of his head, "made me realize a few things. Things I kinda shoulda seen from the beginning."

"What's that?" He got comfortable on the couch underneath her and placed his hands on her hips, bringing her closer to him. God, she loved this man.

"That he's good, with a good heart, who loved me as much as he could, but that it turned out to never be enough."

Hyde scowled.

"And that you," again, she let her fingernails scratch the back of his head in the way she knew he loved, "you were all I ever needed. I'm honestly not even sure what I felt for him comes close to how I feel about you."

"Jackie, I…"

Jackie shook her head and kissed him briefly. "Let me say this. Sometimes I don't like the thought that I may never hear from you how much you love me, because I know you do, Steven Hyde. But this…" She grabbed his hand that was holding her hip and kissed his palm. "I feel it. I feel it in everything you do. I feel it in how you look at me, how you say my name, how you keep me close to you. Michael said it to me a hundred times a day, but it never made me feel the way you do with just one touch."

Hyde's eyes dropped at hearing that, but that wasn't good enough for Jackie. She wanted him to _know_ what she was telling him.

"I _love_ you, Steven. You. What I thought I felt for Michael isn't even a thought anymore."

"Come here," Hyde said softly, placing his hand on the nape of her neck and pulling her towards him.

No words, but she _felt_ it, everything he couldn't say.

* * *

 **Author's Note** **:** Part 2 up soon! What'd ya think?


	2. Part Two

**Author's Note** : And voila! Part two. Enjoy :)

* * *

 _"I_ love _you, Steven. You. What I thought I felt for Michael isn't even a thought anymore."_

 _"Come here," Hyde said softly, placing his hand on the nape of her neck and pulling her towards him._

 _No words, but she_ felt _it, everything he couldn't say._

* * *

"Jackie, I need to talk to you," Kelso said in a rush as he burst into the living room.

"What is it, Michael," Jackie said with a sigh as she lowered her magazine, knowing she'd have to speed up whatever it was her ex wanted to talk about. Steven was coming to pick her up to take with him to the hotel and she knew he didn't like to be late. Burnout or not, her boyfriend was oddly always punctual.

She had a feeling it was a quality Red Forman had instilled in him at some point, recognizing that Eric was the same way.

"Something happened that could tear apart the group!"

A flash of Eric's flailing and "Because you're breaking up the band, Yoko!" came across her mind and she really hoped that Michael wasn't talking about her. She was getting tired of being the thing that would crumble them all.

"What?"

Kelso took a deep breath and looked at her pitifully. "Fez had a sex dream about me."

Immediately, all worries flew out of Jackie's head and she was instead filled with intense sympathy. She laid a hand on his shoulder. "You poor baby!"

"What if he's in love with me? I don't know that I can return those feelings."

"No, of course you can't."

"I mean, sure. He's super cool, and he's good-looking, and we have a ton in common. But I can't…"

"I know. I know, baby." Jackie patted his hands the same way Mrs. Forman had patted hers just a few weeks ago when the older woman had found out Jackie's mom still wasn't back from Mexico. "I know."

"I just wonder what I did to make this happen. I mean, should I have tried to be less desirable?"

Jackie, shocked, spoke quickly. "Michael, the beautiful cannot be held responsible for the havoc our looks create!"

"That's true," Kelso said, nodding.

"Aw." Jackie pulled him towards her and set his head on her shoulder.

"No one understands me like you do, Jackie."

* * *

Hyde walked into the Pinciotti's den with the intent to pick up his girlfriend. His next shift was starting and she'd said she wanted to come along. But upon entering the room, his immediate instincts kicked in and he began to see red.

His girlfriend and her ex, alone together, again.

He almost walked out, wanting to get away as fast as he could so he could punch something that he wouldn't be held accountable for in damages, but his feet stopped him before he realized it.

 _I_ love _you, Steven. You. What I thought I felt for Michael isn't even a thought anymore._

Suddenly, an image flew to the forefront of his mind and he scanned it—the red in his vision starting to dissipate. Mrs. Forman, on the couch, doing the same thing to Laurie that Jackie was doing to Kelso: comforting.

"So, tell me about the dream. Maybe it's not as bad as you think," he heard Jackie say in soothing tones. It piqued his interest and he walked back in the doorway.

"Well, Fez said I was a nurse and I was sponging him. Jackie, don't laugh!"

Hyde saw her shoulders shaking. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Go on."

"That's all he said. But he was acting really weird before it happened. Like he didn't want to be around me."

"Michael, he's probably really confused right now. But I don't think it's what you think it is."

Immediately, Kelso's head popped up and he looked at her eagerly. "Really?"

It was then that Jackie spotted her boyfriend and grinned. Hyde looked back at her with an amused smirk on his face. Sponging, huh?

"Of course. There are all those nurses down at the hotel and you know he's always admired you. His subconscious just got confused."

Kelso, ecstatic, hugged her. "Yes! You're right! I have to go tell him now that we don't have to be boyfriends. Thanks, Jackie!" he called as he flew out of the room with as much speed as he had when entering, only this time exiting on the other side and into the kitchen.

Hyde waited until he'd heard the back door slam and walked over. "Sponging," he said with barely concealed mirth.

Jackie laughed. "Don't make this harder for them!"

"Come on, doll." He lowered himself to her on the couch and together they ended up horizontally, Jackie nestled comfortably underneath him. "I gotta. It's too good."

Jackie kissed him. "Isn't your shift starting soon?"

"Mmhmm," he said, his lips on her neck.

"So we should be going."

"Probably."

"Steven."

"Yep."

Jackie smiled. "Steven, you're gonna be late."

"Yep."

Jackie laughed, figuring she should have known what the one thing was that could make Steven Hyde not care about being late: her. Warmth and giddiness filled her and she grabbed him and kissed him for all she was worth. "Let's go," she said with a smile as he groaned and got up, pulling her with him.

"Fine. Just be careful around those nurses, all right? You don't wanna be around some of them."

"Oh, don't worry, Steven. Mr. Forman just told me and Donna to hang around with Mrs. Forman and make sure she's okay and home safe in a few hours."

Hyde grinned. "That should be fun to watch."

"Steven!"

Hyde paused and pulled her towards him when they got to the doorway. He glanced at the sofa and knew how closely he could have walked off without giving her the benefit of the doubt—how closely he could have lost her from his own issues of trust and neglect.

He also knew how hard it was for her to lay her heart out for him—the poor orphan who didn't think he deserved love. It took guts but she had faith in him.

He kissed her softly, intending to put his faith in her. "Jackie," he said softly in a low, quiet voice. "I love you."

Her eyes widened and she smiled immediately. "Steven! You said it!"

Enjoying the look of pure delight on her face, he gave her another kiss before pulling her out of the room and away from his almost-mistake. "Come on, doll."

* * *

 **Author's Note** : And there we have it ;) Thank you so much for reading and please review! We authors...we just love them :)


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